Improvement in curd-agitators



Kernen e. s'WAIN, or o'oLD'ENrNnW Yoan.

'Letterslatcat N 107,423, lated September 13, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT 1N' cURnAGITA-roes.-

The Schedule referred to in these Lettera Patent and making part of thesame To all whomiit may'concern Be it known that I, BYRON G. SWAIN, ofGolden,

inthe county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Curd-Agitators, of which the following is aspecifieation.

Nature of Invention.. This invention consists in an agitator', ofpeculiar construction and form, mounted in a fraaie which is changeableto any position on the vat, or to fit on dif- `ferent vats.

It also consists in the peculiar form of the lingers 'for agitating thecurd.

Description. In the drawingf- Figurel is a vertical longitudinal sectionoi' a vat, with my improvement applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a cross-section ofthe sinne. .Eigure 3, a perspective of oneof the strainers de tached. Figure 4, a plan ofthe agitator removed fromplace.

A is the vat in whichthe curd stands.

B, an oblongrcctangular frame, which sets on top' of the vat, and ismoved backward and forwardon small rollers a b, set in the frame, andrunning-on the sides of the vat to facilitate the movement.

At points near and across thecenter of the fraaie, two shafts, ed, areplaced,working in suitable journals, having intermatching gears l/ g',and a crank, h,

outside.

'-Fa-stencd to each shaft, and dependingr downward into the vat, is aseries of 'arms or agitators, e e, placed on the two shaftsalternately'in position, so that they do not interfere in movingbackward andforward, but interinatch each other, (sec tig. 4.)

Each of these arms is provided with curved ngers j' one bending forwardyand upward, and the 'other bending backward and upward.

A stay-rod, t', extends across the frame centrally, to prevent the armsrising too high. .lt .also serves as a handle to the agitator-frame.-v

The'operation ris as follows:

The curd being placed in the vat, the agitator B is rested at anydesired position on top of the same, and the crank h vibratedalternately forward and back, which gives a semi-rotary action to thearlns e sutiicient to raise the cnr-ved fingers of the same upward tothe surface of the cnrd. This peculiar form of the lingers serves animportant purpose' in elevating the curd, raising it up, and allowingitto drop back, thereby thoroughly stirring, agitating, and mixing it,whichv is not done by the ordinary'straight'knives or arms, which simplycut through without raising the mate-l rial.

I claim a great advantage from this 'form of the iingers in stirring thecurd vertically, instead of simply moving it horizontally, as therebymuch less action and power are required, 'and greater agitationproduced.

Another important advantage of myxconstruction is, that the agitator B,with the operating parts attached, simply rests loosely on top, of thevat, and may be moved from one position to another, and rcvtained thereas long as desired. This s desirable, as Vsome portions of' the curd arethicker and tougher IJ[han others. l

In ordinary rats of this kind the agitator iS automatic in its movement,traversing nnvaryingly from one end to the other, as in Keeneys patentof August 29, 1865. By my construction the agitator can alsobeexpeditiously removed from one vat to another by.

simply lifting oli'.

As a quantity of the curd .will of necessity get into the corners of thevat, out of the reachof the agitat- .ing-fingers, I introduce into eachend a piece of rounded or concave metal, C, which is full of smallholes, jj, and'fits close to the`sides ofthe vat. Its object is twofold:Itis used, first, to clear the curd from the 'corne-rs, and, when fittedin, its shape corresponds to the shape-ofthe rounded fingers .of theagitators; it also acts as a strainer, whereby the )they is strainedthrough at each end frornthe mass thrown against it.

I am aware that vats with rounded ends have been constructed, but suchare not removable, nor are they l madeas strainers-a double effect,which I believe is new.

Claims'. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, isl 1. The construction and arrangement ofthe agitator `asherein described, the same consisting of the shafts c fl, with' arlns ec mounted in the removable frame B, and operated by gears 'g g', orequivalent, in the manner and for the purpose specified. g

2. The arm-s e c', provided with the oppositely-bend:v ving ngers ff',operating inthe manner and for the purpose specified. In witnesswhereofI have hereunto signed my name in the presenceof two subscribingwitnesses.

itnessesz BYRON G. SWAIN.

J. R. Danica, ALBERT HAIGHT.

